CRMB :::: Current Issue Vol.1, No.6, Nov-Dec 2013

Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology is an international open access bi-monthly journal that covers all aspects of latest research in microbiology and biotechnology. Manuscripts are published soon after peer-review.

Agegnehu Shibabaw et al. Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology 1(6) 2013: 262-265

262-265

ABSTRACT:Diseases, insect pests and parasitic weeds of crops at Rib were surveyed under irrigation condition from 2010 to 2011 fiscal year. During the survey periods different horticultural, cereal and pulse crops were inspected. Onion, potato, tomato, pepper, cabbage, garlic, shallot and rapeseed were among horticultural crops where as wheat, barley and maize were from cereals crops and safflower and lentil were in pulse and oil crops. Dozens of diseases and insect pests were recorded and identified in the surveyed area. Some pests were found to be major, which needs to take action and some others were minor during the periods of surveying. Powdery mildew, purple blotch, yellow rust and virus were the most important disease of onion, shallot, and wheat and pepper respectivelly. Thrips, cutworm, boll worm, and aphids were important insect pest on onion, potato, tomato, barley and wheat respectively. Porcupines (jart), birds and mole rat were vertebrate pests where as orobanchea was the single important parasitic weed on tomato found in the surveyed areas. Generaly the result reaveled that diseases and insect pest recorded as a major pest needs research and development intervantion at the movement. Moreover, regular monitering stratagy has to be designed sinse; one minor pest at a time became major pest on other time.

Agegnehu Shibabaw et al. Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology 1(6) 2013: 266-269

266-269

ABSTRACT:An experiment was conducted with the objective of to evaluate the effect of different time and frequency of hand weeding levels on direct seeded rice. The experiment was conducted from 2010 to 2012 cropping season. The treatments include: weedy check, weed free check, weeding at 20 and 35 Days after emergence (DAE), weeding at 35 and 50 DAE and weeding at 20, 35 and 50 DAE. The experimental result revealed that time and frequency of different hand weeding levels has an effect on yield and yield component of rice. Weeding of rice three times, especially at 20, 35 and 50 days after emergence gave relatively better yield and found cost effective and recommendable under Fogera conditions.

KeyWords: critical period of weed competition, time of weeding, frequency of weeding.

Paranthaman et. al. Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology 1(6) 2013: 270-273

270-273

ABSTRACT:A low-cost and readily available agroindustrial substrate such as tea waste can be used to produce ellagic acid by solid-state fermentation. The Optimum fermentation conditions like incubation temperature and incubation period for ellagic acid production were found to be 35°C at 96hrs respectively. The present study showed that the fungal strain Aspergillus niger (MTCC 281) has high potential for industrial productions of ellagic acid.

Kataa HK et. al. Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology 1(6) 2013: 274-277

274-277

ABSTRACT:Twenty-five blood samples of clinically thalassemic patients were collected from Kut hospital for childbirth and children / Thalassemia in Wasit, Iraq. Besides, blood samples were taken from 25 apparently healthy individuals (without Hemoglobinopathy disorders) as a control group. Blood samples were subjected to DNA isolation and molecular detection of three types of β-thalassemia mutations (Fr16 (-C), codon17(A→T) and 41/42 (TTCT)) using a PCR -ARMS technique. The results depicted genetic mutation for Fr 16 (54%), codon 17(12%), codon 41/42(8%). These mutations are reported for first time in Iraq.

Desalegn Amenu. Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology 1(6) 2013: 278-284

278-284

ABSTRACT:“Ergo” is traditional Ethiopian fermented milk produced by spontaneous fermentation using traditional utensils under non-hygienic environment. To produce microbiologically safe and chemically defined product; study on the production, processing, utilization and handling of ‘Ergo’ under different agro-ecological zones as well as the isolation and characterization of potential lactic acid bacteria strains with the potential production of inhibitory factor should be the first essential step. Even though milk is fermented and consumed in all these areas a very limited hygienic care is practiced, 93.4% of the households do not heed for the sanitary aspect of the milk and milk products. To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), 112 strains of LAB, belonging to Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc and Pediococcus were isolated from Ethiopian traditional fermented milk, “Ergo”. Moreover the culture filtrates of all the isolates were examined for antimicrobial activity on some food borne pathogens Salmonella thyphi, Shigella flexineri , Staphylococcus aures (ATCC-25923) and Escherchia coli (ATCC-25922) using disc diffusion assay method. Inhibition diameters obtained with the inhibitory substance of 2mm and above inhibition zone over the control were considered as positive. Twelve strains of lactic acid bacteria that produced the greatest antimicrobial substance were selected. These strains were identified as species of Lactobacillus acidophilus(2) , Lactobacillus plantarum(2), Lactococcus lactic spp crimoris(2), Lactococcus lactic spp lactic(3), Leuconostoc lactic (1) , Pediococcus pentosaceus(1) and Pediococcus sp.(1). All the inhibitory substance-producing strains were tested for their temperature and pH stability. The antimicrobial activity of the culture filtrate of isolated strains were completely inactivated when treated at 121oC for 15 minutes, whereas at 30, 60 and 80oC there were no Significant (P>0.05) difference in diameter of inhibition compared to untreated (control). The entire culture filtrate were stable with in a wide range of pH (2-10) and no significant (P>0.05) difference was observed between the treated filtrate and the untreated (control). However treating the culture filtrate at pH 12 has significantly (P<0.05) decreased the inhibition diameter.

ABSTRACT:Published reports on salmonella in wildlife are few and to the best of our knowledge, no published report exists on the prevalence of Salmonella at the National Zoological Garden Jos, Nigeria. There had been reports of death of wildlife among the zoo inmates due to infectious diarrhoea possibly due to Salmonella which is of economic importance and of great concern in terms of conservation of wildlife. Salmonella is also of great zoonotic importance especially in an animal contact setting like the zoo where many come to visit and interact with the animals. The study therefore sought to screen the zoo animals for Salmonella and to determine the prevalence of the organism. 160 faecal samples were collected from wildlife in the zoo over a period of three months and screened for Salmonella using the conventional biochemical tests and confirmation was done using the Microbact GNB 12E. Eight isolates were confirmed out of the 160 samples, giving a prevalence of 5%. There was a statistically significant association (p≤0.05) between the occurrence of Salmonella and months of sample collection. The finding of this study is a contribution to the surveillance of Salmonella in wildlife; it may also be the reason for the deaths recorded among the inmates due to infectious diarrhea. Considering its zoonotic nature, the staff, visitors to the zoo and the general public is at risk of contracting the bacteria from the animals, infected faecal materials, cages, railings etc. Captive and free range wildlife could be reservoirs and sources of Salmonella infection to other wildlife, domestic animals and man.